Olive-pitting machine



Oct. 10, 1944. g. BRWTEN 2,360,103

OLIVE-FITTING MACHINE Fi led Npv. 10, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 II l i i III 11 I IIIIII 1 m." :II' I..'.'.' I I I "II i as I I F I 3M 0a. 10, 1944. B N 2,360,103

OLIVE-FITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 10, 1944. g, BRm-EN 2,36UJQ3 OLIVE-FITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 130 CECIL A. BR/TTE/V WWW Oct. 10, 1944,

c. A, BRITTEN OLIVE-FITTING MACHINE 7 Filed Nov. 10, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 CEC/L A. axe/775w EE u FIE 'E 0a, 10, 1944. c, Bmwm 2,360,103

OLIVE-FITTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 10, 1941 s Sheets-Sheet 5 FIELlEI H FIE l1 Oct. 10, 1944. c. A. BRITTEN OLIVE- FITTING MACHINE Filed NOV. 1J1), 1941 F1 [:5 1 El 6 Shets-Sheet e F1 5 1a Patented Oct. 10, 1944 OLIVE-PITTIN G MACHINE Cecil A. Britten, San Jose, Calif., assignor to Food Machinery Corporation, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application November 10, 1941, Serial No. 418,481

13 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for removing the pits from olives.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for pitting olives in accordance with the method disclosed and claimed in the copending application Serial No. 418,488, of Roy M. Magnuson, filed November 10, 1941.

Another object of the invention is to provide an oiive-pitting machine in which an incision is made in each olive preparatory to removing the pit, through which incision the pit is subsequently removed.

A further object is to provide a mechanism for making said incision and particularly for controlling the depth of the incision.

Another object is to provide a mechanism capable of making a small incision in the olive of less diameter than the thickness of the pit.

A further object is to provide a pitting mechanism including a tool for forcing the pit out of the olive through the previously-made incision.

Other objects will be apparent after a disclosure of a machine embodying the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine taken as indicated by the arrows 2-2 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken as indicated by the arrows 3-'3 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the cutting mechanism taken as indicated by the arrows 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section thereof taken as indicated by the arrows 55 in Fig. 2.

Figs. 6 to 8 illustrate the steps in removing the pit from an olive.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged section of one of the knife assemblies.

Fig. 10 is an elevation of the pitting mechanism taken as indicated by the arrows Iii-l0 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 11 is a side elevation thereof taken as indicated by the arrows i I--H in Fig. 1.0.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the ejector mechanism taken as indicated by the arrows I2i2 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 13 is an elevation of the pitting mechanism taken as indicated by the arrows 13-13 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 14 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation taken as indicated by the arrows l4l4in Fig. 13.

Fig. 15 i a perspective view of a pitting prong.

Fig. 16 is a bottom view of a pitting rubber.

Fig, 1'7 is a vertical section thereof.

A general View of the machine appears in Fig. l, where it will be observed that the machine is provided with a pedestal base 25, the lower portion of which has been broken Oh but which is adapted to rest on the floor. A source of power is provided for operating the various mechanisms in the machine and is preferably an electric motor 2| mounted on the base 20. The drive is transmitted through suitable power transmission means including a chain 22 to a drive shaft 23.

Referring to Fig. 3, drive shaft 23 is one of five shafts 23, 24, 25, 26, 2'! which radiate horizontally from the vertical axis of the machine and are suitably supported in bearings in outwardly extending arms which form an integral part of the machine frame. The inner end of each shaft has a bevel gear thereon and these gears have been numbered 33, 3d, 35, 36, 31, respectively. The drive gear 33 meshes with gears 34 and 31 to transmit rotation to shafts 24 and 21. Gear 34 meshes with gear 35 to transmit rotation to shaft 25 and gear 35 meshes with gear 36 to transmit rotation to shaft 26.

The shaft 26 is connected by bevel gearing (not shown) to a vertical shaft 40 on which is secured an arm 4! having a driving pin 42 in the end which engages in the slots 43 of a Geneva gear 44. Also secured to the shaft 40 is a conventional Geneva gear locking disk 45. The Geneva gear 44 is connected to a carrier in the form of a circular table .(Figs. .2 and 12) suitably supported for rotation about a vertical axis in the frame. This table is intermittently rotated sixty degrees as the Geneva drive pin 42 rotates continuously.

The purpose of the Geneva drive is to impart an intermittent indexing movement to the table. There are six groups of four olive-supporting cups 5| arranged as shown in Fig. 2 around the periphery of the table, the four cups in each group being placed in a straight'line. The first sixty-degree movement of the table will carry the ing: reciprocatory rod 65 secured thereto; 1 bracket 66 secured to the frame 20 of the machine cups with their axes vertical in the index position above the shaft 25. The preceding position is also available for loading. Upon arrivel at the next position above the shaft 25 a preparatory incision is made in the olives.

where the pits are removed through the incisions. When the olives reach the positionfover the shaft 21 they are ejected from the cups i and discharged into a chute 52 which deposits the pitted 80 contacts the top of the pit 82 the knife is olives on a conveyor indicated at 53 in Fig. 1.

The mechanism for making the preparatory incision will now be described. In general it com prises a battery of four identical cutting tools 60 (Fig. 1) disposed above the table 50 at the index position associated with the shaft 25 (Fig.

"2).. Fourtools are provided in order to simultaneously perform the .cutting'operatio'n on four olives disposed in a group of four cups 5|, 7

Means are provided for imparting a reciprocatory stroke of invariable length to the battery of cuttingtools 63 during each rest period of the table5i). The shaft 25 has a cam BI (Figs. 4 and shaft 63in a slide 64 having a vertically-extendprovides aligned bearings 67,158 for the reciprocatory'rod'65. A tool holder Ill (Figs. 2, 4 and5) is adjustably secured to the upper end of the" re- The table then indexes to bring the olives to the position over the shaft 24 When gaugingthe depth ofthe incision by contact with the pit a knife having a cutting edg 80 smaller in diameter than the thickness of the.

to make the incision in ,the following manner:

'I'he actuator I0 descends. The cutting'edge 8i! 'penetratestheolive 8|. The lower'end 93 of the plunger 85 engages'the surface of the olive. The force which causes the'knife" to penetrate the olive is transmitted thereto from the actuator I0 through the spring 9 I. When the cutting edge arrested, continued downward movement of the actuator I0 resulting in compression of the spring 9'I. When the actuator I0 has completed its downward stroke it rises. The spring BI expands."

Then the actuator engages the nut 99 and positively withdraws the knife from the olive. The

' olive is retained in the cup 5| by the plunger 85 ciprocatoryrod 65 by a set screw'TL The tool holder 'IIla nd the rod 65 comprise are'ciprocatory actuating means for the tools 6!] which are {carried in a line in the holder and are lowered vand raised once in each revolution of the cam 6! 'whi'ch is timed to effect thetool movement. dur

ing therest period ofthe table 50.- 'Since the cutting tools '60 I I are identical only one will be described in detail. An enlarged section which is pressed downwardly by the spring 88. 7 "When the shoulder 86, picks up the head 87 of the V plunger the cutting edge 80 is out of the olive and the knife and plunger rise together.

The other way in which the depth contact of the knife with the pit. Accordingly this control may be used when aknife size larger 7 in diameter than the thickness of the pit is employed. Astop screw 95 is threaded through the adjusting screw 89 and is locked in adjustment with a nut 96.

of the screw to the head 81 of the plunger will be r The distanc from the end 91 the depth of the incision.

The operation is as. follows: The actuator lowers the tool. The cutting edge penetrates the olive, the plunger BS -being'arrested when the acylindrical incision in the top of the olive BI I I20, I2I thereon. Cam I20'(Figs. 10 and 11) is which is supported upright in the cup 5i on the The cutting tool is constructed so that the depth of the incision may be controlled in two ways. The first is by contact of the cutting edge 7 I with the top of the pit 82. A plunger or stop '85 is vertically slidable in the knife I5. ,The

shank I6 is counterbored at the upper end to provide'a shoulder 86 for the head 81 of the plunger 7 to limit downward movement of the plunger relative to the knife. 7 Relative movement in the opposite direction .is 1 opposed by a, compression spring 88, the pressureof which can be adjusted by, a screw 89 threaded into the counterbore of I6 is slidable in the bearing 11, but upward movement of the knife'relative .to the actuator is opposed by a compression spring 'SIinterposed between the underside of the actuator and. va jewl- .justable nut Q'L threaded on the'shankflii; 1

end 93 engages the surface of th olive. As the cutting edge penetrates the olive the end 91 of the stop screw 95 approaches the head 81 of the plunger which is stationary. When the stop screw contacts the head of the plunger the knife is arrested, the actuator continuing its downward movement and compressing the spring 9 I On the I upward stroke of the actuatorthe plunger rethe table indexes to the next position (Fig, 2)

where the 'pit is removed by mechanism which will now be described. The shaft 24 has two cams an internal cam and 'is provided with a track in V The roller I22 is carwhich a roller I22 runs. ried by a stub shaft I23 which is secured ina cross-head I24 guided for verticalrreciprocation on'two slide rods I25, I26 secured in the frame the cam track the pitting tools are disposed beneath the table 50 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11.

The cam is timed with the table so that after the table comes to rest thecross-headl 24 rises elevating the pitting tools I30. To permit the tools to engage the olives each cup 5| (Fig. 7) has 'a bore I3I through which the tool passes' The pitting tool is formed as shown in Fig, 15, where it will be seen that the tool is fluted to provide a plurality into the olive. Furthermore, these cutting edges 7 are inclined downwardly toward theaxis of the tool so as to cradle the pit,. as shown in Fig. 7;

. 0f the ina cision may be controlled is based on a predetermined depth of cut and does not depend upon A pitting rubber I46 (Fig. 7) is lowered over the olive 8| at this time to assist thepitting tool in removing the pit. The pitting rubber I40 (Figs. 16 and 17) has a concavity MI in the underside in which the top of the olive is adapted to fit. The pitting rubber also has a central bore I42 the diameter of which is less than the diameter of the incision I43 (Fig. 6) made by the knife 75, and in case this incision is smaller in diameter than the thickness of the pit 82, the diameter of the bore I42 in the pitting rubber is less than the thickness of the pit.

As shown in Fig. 8 the pitting tool I30 lifts the olive 8| off the cup as it presses the upper end of the olive into the concavity I II of the pitting rubber Mil. The pitting rubber is also lifted slightly as can be seen'by a comparison of Figs. 7 and 8. This is on accountof the fact that the pitting rubber is carried in the lower end of a tube I45 which has a limited floating action to accommodate for variations in olive sizes, as will presently be more apparent. It will be noted in Fig. 8 that the piece of meat I46 attached to the top of the pit 82 is larger in diameter than the bore I42 in the rubber. As the pitting tool I39 pushes the pit out the top of the bore the rubber contracts around the lower end of the pit and forcibly ejects it upwardly against an inclined deflector I50 (Fig. 14) located in the tube I45 opposite a discharge opening II through which the pit is deflected into a discharge chute I52 that directs them through an opening I53 in the table 50 into a second discharge chute I5 5.

The tube Hi5 (Figs. 13 and 14) is vertically slidable in a bracket I66 attached to the slide rods I25, I25. An adjustable nut IEI and a lock nut I62 are threaded on the upper end of the tube I45. At the conclusion of the pitting operation the tube I45 is held in raised position b means of a fork I53 which engages the nut I5I. The fork is secured to the upper end of a lift rod I64 slidable in bearings I65, I66 in a bearing bracket I6'I attached to the bracket I68. A roller I'IIl carried by the lower end of the rod I65 follows a cam I21 on the shaft 24.

The cam is timed so that during the indexing movement of the table 50 it holds the rod and fork in elevated position to hold the tubes I45 in inoperative position. When the table has stopped the cam lowers the fork clear of the nuts I61, permitting the tubes to descend by gravity to lower the rubbers I lIl onto the olives in the manner illustrated in Fig. 'I. When the pitting tool I30 rises to engage the pit and force it upwardly out of the olive the tube I45 is lifted also. The weight of the tube usually supplies sufiicient resistance to enable the tool to remove the pit. A stop I12 attached to the bracket I60 limits upward movement of the tube by engaging a lug I'II thereon if necessary. To prevent the tube from falling when there is no olive in the cup a stop I13 underlying the lug III is mounted on the cross-head I 24.

At the conclusion of the pitting operation the cam I28 lowers the cross-head I24 which withdraws the pitting tools I30 from the olives, leaving the olives seated inthe cups 5L The tools are finally lowered away free of the table as shown in Fig. 11. The cam IEI simultaneously lifts the fork I63 which holds the tubes I45 and pitting rubbers I 40 in the elevated inoperative position. The table now indexes.

When the pitted olives arrive at the index position over the shaft 2! (Fig. 2) they are ejected from the cups 5| into the chute 52 by an ejector mechanism which will nowbe described.

The shaft 27 has a crank I36 (Figs. 1 and 12) at the outer end, the crank pin I 8| of which engages in a horizontal slot I82 formed in a carrier I83 which is guided for vertical reciprocation by means of a rod I84 depending therefrom into a bearing I85 in a bracket I85 attached to the frame 20, The carrier I83 has four upstanding ejector pins I3? which are guided for vertical sliding in a bracket I 88. Upon rotation of the crank Its the ejector pins I31 are projected up through the bores I3! in the cups 5| to push the olives up out of the cups. The end of each pin is beveled at I89 to discharge the olive laterally into the chute 52. The chute deposits the pitted olives on a conveyor 53 for removal from the machine.

Having thus described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. An olive-pitting machine having a table rotatable about a vertical axis, means to intermit-' tently rotate said table to predetermined index positions, cups on said table to support the olives, means at one index position for making an incision in the olive including a vertically-reciprocable cylindrical knife, and means carried by said knife and yieldable relative to the long axis each cup having an aperture in the bottom,

means at one index position for making an incision in the olive including a vertically-reciprocable cylindrical knife disposed above the table;

' and means to hold the olive in the cup when said knife withdraws from the olive after making the incision therein, and means at a subsequent index position for removing the pit from the olive through the incision therein including a pitting rubber adapted to be lowered over the olive and a vertically-reciprocable pitting tool disposed below said table and adapted to be projected up through the cup aperture and the olive, said pitting rubber having an aperture through which the pit is ejected by said tool.

3. An olive-pitting machine having means to support the olive, and means to make an incision in one end of the olive preparatory to removing the pit therefrom through said end comprising a cylindrical knife, the diameter of said knife being less than the thickness of the pit of the olive, an actuator for reciprocating said knife axially toward the pit, means for mounting said knife in said actuator for limited movement relative thereto, and spring means opposing said relative movement, whereby the depth of the incision is controlled by engagement of the knife with the pit.

4. An olive-pitting machine having means to support the olive, and meansto make an incision in the olive preparatory to removing the pit there from comprising a cylindrical knife, the diameter of said knife being less than the thickness of the pit of the olive, an actuator for reciprocating said knife axially toward the pit, means for mounting said knife in said actuator for limited movement relative thereto, spring means opposing said relative movement, whereby the depth of the incision is controlled by engagement of the knife with the pit, and resilient means asso- I ciated with said knife for retainingfthe olive in said supporting means during knife from the olive.

5. An olive-pitting machine having means to Withdrawal of said support the olive, and means to makeanincision in the olive preparatory to removing the pit therefrom comprising a cylindrical knife, an actuator I forreciprocating said knife axially toward the pit, meansfor mounting said knife in said actuator for limited movement relative thereto, spring means opposing said relative movement, a plunger slidable in said knife, and spring means urging said plunger towardthe olive, said plungerserving to retain the olive in said supporting means during the withdrawal of said knife.

6. Anolivie-pittingimachine having means to from comprising a cylindrical knife, an actuator for reciprocating said knife axially toward the knife at one indexposition'tofmake an incision} olive, means including a reciprocatory cylindrical in the olive preparatory to removal of the pit,

and means at a subsequent index position for removing the pit, comprising a pitting rubber adapted to engage the'o1iveand having a, hole therein which registers with sai incision, the di-;

ameter of saidphole being less than the diameter of said knife; and a pitting tool adapted/to be reciprocated axially through the olive to force the pit out of the'olive through said incision and within said incising means to hold the olive in support the olive, and means to make an incision in the olive preparatory to removing the pit therethe support while said incising means is being withdrawn from the olive aftermaking the inpit, means for mounting said knife in saidaetuator for limited movement relative thereto, spring 7 means opposing said relative movement, a plunger slidable in said knife and adapted to engage i V ating mechanism operatively associated with said the surface of the olive, and means to limit the sliding movement of said plunger relative to said knife including an adjustable stop, whereby said vsto'p can be adjusted'to determine the depth of penetration of the knife into the olive.

'7. An olive-pitting machine having a rotatable table, means on said table adapted to support an olive with its axis upright, means to make an incision in the olive preparatory to removing the pit comprising an actuator adapted to be verti-,

cally reciprocated through a stroke of fixed plunger in the oppositeidirection.

8. An olive-pitting'machine having a rotatable table, means on said table adapted to support an olive with its'axis upright, means ,to make an incision'in the olive preparatory to removing the pit comprising an actuator adapted to be vertically reciprocated through a stroke of fixed jlength, a cylindrical'knife, vertically slidable in said actuator, an adjustable stop to limit down- ;ward movement of said knife, relative to said i actuator, spring means opposing relative movement in the opposite direction, a plunger adapted flto engage the surface of the olive vertically slidable in said knife, a stop to limit downward movement of said plunger relative to said knife, spring I means opposing relative movement of said plunger in the opposite direction, and a second stop mounted in said knife to limit said opposite move- 7 ment of said plunger.

'9. An olive-pitting machine having a rotatable carrier adapted to'be'indexed to a plurality of -positions,imeans on said carrier to support an cision therein. w H Y ,11. An olive pitting machine having an olive support, means comprising a cylindrical knife for making'an incision'in the olive preparatory to removing the pittherefrom, the diameter of said knife being less than that of the olive pit, actuknife for advancing the knife into an olive disposed in said support, andresilientmeans embodied in said actuating mechanism to enable the knife to yield upon engagement'of the knife with said pit whereby the depth of the incision is determined'by said engagement. a

12; An. olive'pitting machine having an oliv support, means comprising a cylindrical knife for making an incision in the olive preparatory to removing the pit therefrom, the diameter of said knife being less than that of the olive pit, an i actuator for advancing theknife into an olive Withsaid knife and actuator to yieldingly oppose said relative movement whereby the depth of the incision is determined by engagement of the knife with the 'olive pit;

13. An' olive pitting'machine having olive supporting means, a reciprocable knife actuator movable, toward and away'from said olive supporting means, a cylindrical knife carried by-said actuator for making an incision in one end of the olive preparatory to removing the pit therefrom through said endfs'aid knife having a cutting edge smaller in diameter than the thickness of the pit, and yieldable means arranged on said knifebetween the latter and said actuator to resiliently urge said knife into the olive and to a yield upon continued movement of said knife toward said olive supporting means when said knife is arrested by engagement with the pit of the olive, a pitting rubber engageable with said one end of the olive and having a central bore axially V aligned withthe latter, a pitting tool movable through said olive supporting means toward said pitting rubber whereby to press the pit of the olive through sai incision in said central bore,

7 and means for reciprocating said pitting tool.

CECIL A. BRITTEN. 

